Cold Stone Ice-cream in India – Yes it is here!

Stone ice-cream or Cold Stone ice-cream seems to be new phenomenon or trend catching up in Delhi and other Indian cities. On the first look it might not look like much, but then thinking about it its a great way to eat and treat your ice-cream.

To simplify things It can also be referred to as Teppanyaki style Ice-cream, the griddle in this case is cold instead of hot. So now there is a cold stone or slab or a mixing board, which remains at -17 ‘C. The ice-cream is put on it, and then mixed with various assortments to make a unique combo. The combo and flavors would depend from vendor to vendor. The quality of ice-cream, quality of things that go into it and quality of recipe is what makes one brand or vendor stand out from the other.

So the things that go into the ice-cream can be anything from Mars chocolate bar to Kit-Kat or Snickers, Nuts of various kinds, fresh fruits, Oreo cookies, various sauces and the list is endless. So just imagine a Sundae in which instead of toppings flavors are mixed inside the ice-cream. And the Cold Stone ensures that the end product you get it still frozen. Also while mixing the ice-cream the usual ‘air’ in it also reduces, making the ice-cream less fluffy and more chewy. It is usually served on a cup made like a waffle, something similar to waffle cones.

A fruit based Cold Stone concept @ Goosebumps

I have had them at 2-3 place in Delhi till now, first being Hokey-Pokey in Punjabi Bagh, then Giani Ice-cream in Punjabi Bagh itself, and to be honest I was not too bullish about it. Novelty value yes, not real excitement for me.

However yesterday someone recommended Goosebumps on our Facebook page a newly opened ice-cream parlor in Karkardooma market, a buzzing hub East side of Delhi.

We managed to get there just about when they were about to down there shutters at 11 pm however the owner obliged us and switched back lights and equipment on to serve us. It turned out it was not a normal ice-cream parlor and you cannot get ice-cream by the scoop here. They only sell cold stone mixes and they have multiple concoctions of the same. At that hour I was in no mood to look at details and asked him to surprise me. After a bit of greed filled discussion we decided on having one chocolate based, one fruits based and one mix based on nuts. However as the first one came out, looking at the portion size we realized that we had made a mistake and decided to stick to Chocolate and Fruits one only. Saving the nuts for some other time…:P

Choco Lava concept @ Goosebumps

Normally ice-creams have 12-13% fat content, however the ones used here have around 19% which we clearly felt in the first bite. We were told that this was required for ice-cream to do well in the mixing process on the stone.

Technical jargon aside, I am yet to try many stone based ice-creams to actually comment on them, however thought of sharing some knowledge that I have about them with fellow food lovers. Also there is a popular misconception amongst the people that we do not have this concept in India yet, which is incorrect. It is catching up in other cities of India too, plus there are several outlets in Delhi NCR who are using Cold Stones for their mixes.

Working on those mixes. Doesn’t it look like Teppanyaki?

That said, the ice-creams that I tasted at Goosebumps were really incredible and would readily beat some of the international brands in taste and awesomeness I was told that they are only 1 month old as of now, all I can do right now is wish them luck.

Average cost for a mix or concept at Goosebumps (as they call it) would be Rs.130-160 (we paid Rs. 315) for two.

UPDATE :

All excited about the cold stone one of my friends was talking to me about it and she asked me where is the nearest place she can get it (from her residence) in Delhi. And incidentally we were riding around Malviya Nagar at that time and I remembered that Giani Icecream’s outlet in the area did have a Cold Stone.

We visited them and as usual I asked them to give me something they recommend, made on the stone. They recommended Punjabi Delight which was one of the 2 non-chocolate flavors on the list.

Punjabi Delight Mix on Cold Stone @ Giani Ice-cream, Malviya Nagar

And at Rs.180 what came to me really broke my heart. It was a fruit & jelly based mix and the things used in making it really looked synthetic and artificial, a doubt confirmed the moment I took the first bite. Plus the taste and presentation did not match up with the expectations and standards set by Goosebumps last night.

So bottom-line is that concept is novel and fancy however there can be HUGE variation in taste and quality from brand to brand and from outlet to outlet.

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Author: Shashank

CFE – Cheap Food Enthusiast Entrepreneur by birth, hippie by heart he is here just because he loves to eat. This adventurous biker is constantly looking for new avenues to satisfy his insatiable hunger for food & life. Though he loves sugar dense food, there is nothing sugar coated about him- brutally honest with his words, he often ruffles feathers with his stark naked opinions about food, fancy restaurants & orthodox ideas.
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3 thoughts on “Cold Stone Ice-cream in India – Yes it is here!”

Was wondering after the recent updates on Eatlo page about Cold Stone ice creams. But after reading this am clear about the ones in market. Have personally tried them at Hokey Pokey in Punjabi Bagh. I found it just ok to the buzz it created. Also been witness to them at many other places but have always found them a bit on heavier side though the combination has always been worked for me. But anyday I would still prefer a light ice cream single flavor. This says a lot as to how we in India look at them only after dinner things and very less of us would eat all day round. So its still to get its share of popularity here in India.